Key Takeaways
- 🍨 Eddie’s Sweet Shop, New York City’s oldest ice cream parlor, has been serving homemade ice cream and old-fashioned treats in Queens for more than 100 years
- 🏛️ The historic shop retains its vintage charm with a marble counter, swivel stools, pressed-tin ceilings and an antique cash register
- 🍒 From classic flavors and unique creations to old-fashioned sundaes topped with homemade syrups, Eddie’s continues to delight generations of ice cream lovers
It’s summer — the official season for ice cream! And if you’re in New York City, make sure Eddie’s Sweet Shop is on your bucket list.
This beloved Queens institution has been serving up sweet treats for more than a century and feels like a step back in time. Inside, you’ll find a marble counter lined with swivel stools, wooden-paneled walls, pressed tin ceilings and even an antique cash register. But Eddie’s isn’t just famous for its old-school charm — it’s the shop’s irresistible homemade scoops that have made it iconic. From towering sundaes and classic banana splits to thick milkshakes and old-fashioned egg creams, every treat is handcrafted the way it has been for decades.
Originally known as Witt’s in the 1920s, Eddie’s Sweet Shop entered a new chapter in the 1960s when the Citrano family took over. Today, Vito Citrano proudly carries on the family tradition, serving handcrafted ice cream more than a century after the shop first opened. While you’ll find classic favorites like chocolate, vanilla chip and butter pecan, the menu also features unique flavors such as maple walnut and pistachio pineapple. What truly sets Eddie’s apart, however, are its old-fashioned sundaes, generously topped with rich homemade syrups. With its vintage charm and irresistible flavors, it’s no wonder Eddie’s has kept generations of ice cream aficionados coming back for more.
In a 2021 profile of Vito Citrano and his beloved ice cream shop in The New York Times, Jolie Alony — owner of Thompson Chemists in SoHo — reminisced about evenings spent at Eddie’s and her family’s deep-rooted connection to the shop, where she met her husband. “I thought it was so romantic to sit at a small, round table set for two and share a banana split with coffee ice cream, chocolate syrup and homemade whipped cream,” she recalled. It’s no surprise Eddie’s has earned such a loyal following. If you’re craving old-fashioned ice cream and a dose of nostalgia, pull up a swivel stool and experience one of New York City’s sweetest traditions for yourself…